Jim Murphy yesterday declared his “driving purpose” was to end poverty after winning the race to be the next Scottish Labour leader.
The East Renfrewshire MP was elected with more than half of the vote, ahead of MSPs Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack.
The leadership contest was sparked when ex-leader Johann Lamont stood down, accusing Westminster colleagues of treating Scotland like a “branch office”.
Lothians MSP Kezia Dugdale was elected the party’s deputy leader and will now battle with Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister’s Questions until Murphy can win his way into Holyrood, potentially not until 2016.
Murphy, said: “This is a fresh start for the Scottish Labour Party. Scotland is changing and so too is Scottish Labour.”
He added Scotland was “divided not by the referendum but by circumstances”.
“The majority are fulfilled, getting on, getting by, being successful. A minority are falling behind, denied opportunity, trapped, unable to escape the hardship of their upbringing.
“That inequality is wrong and it is my driving purpose, it is our driving purpose, it is the Scottish Labour Party’s driving purpose to end that type of inequality.”
The former Scottish Secretary added the best way to tackle poverty was to boost the economy.
He argued: “The most effective anti-poverty measure is a successful economy. It’s about backing businesses, it’s about creating jobs, because if redistribution is our aim, which it is, then we need more wealth not less. We want more entrepreneurs, not fewer. A growing middle-class that more families are able to join.”
With new powers coming to the Scottish Parliament in the wake of the independence vote, Mr Murphy said there were “no excuses now”. He insisted: “We have the power, the question is do we have the purpose?”
Murphy picked up a total of 55.7% of the vote in the leadership contested, putting him ahead of nearest rival Mr Findlay, who secured 34.99% and Ms Boyack, who came in third with 9.24%
UK Labour leader Ed Miliband said: “Jim showed in the referendum campaign that he is a fighter. He showed in the leadership campaign that he is a leader.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I know that the challenges of leadership are never easy, so I offer my best wishes for the job they have ahead.”
n The fight has only just begun: See pages 24 and 25 for further coverage of Jim Murphy’s win.
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